Picture frame message board

ABSTRACT

A picture frame message board including a frame having an outer perimeter, an inner perimeter, a window defined by the inner perimeter, a front surface having at least two adjacent ridges defining at least one grooves, wherein the frame is arranged to hold and display a substantially planar item in the window, and the at least two ridges are adapted to receive and secure a substantially planar structure therebetween.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention broadly relates to picture frames and message boards, and more particularly to a combination picture frame message board.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Picture frames are well known. Generally, a picture frame comprises a substantially rigid structure which defines a window and is operatively arranged to hold and display a substantially planar item, such as a photograph or other pictorial item, in the window. Frames usually provide a decorative boarder around the items displayed therein. However, a problem with such decorative boarders is that they are immutable and not informative, i.e., a user cannot readily change the appearance of the border nor can she display messages or words thereon, for example, the name of a person displayed in the window.

Message boards are also well known. Generally, message boards comprise a corrugated front surface, i.e., a front surface having a plurality of ridges defining a plurality of grooves therebetween, wherein adjacent ridges are adapted to receive and secure a substantially planar structure therebetween within the groove. Tabbed objects, such as letters, are inserted between adjacent ridges and displayed on the front surface, in order to form words, messages and the like.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A picture frame message board comprising: a frame having an outer perimeter, an inner perimeter, a window defined by the inner perimeter, a front surface comprising at least two adjacent ridges defining at least one grooves, wherein the frame is arranged to hold and display a substantially planar item in the window, and the at least two ridges are adapted to receive and secure a substantially planar structure therebetween.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least two ridges are adapted to receive and secure a tabbed object, such as a tabbed letter, such that the tabbed object is secured and displayed on the front surface.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a frame for holding and displaying pictorial items, such as pictures and photographs.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a picture frame with the means to display decorative objects on its front surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a picture frame with the means to display messages on its front surface, wherein such messages are arranged and selected by a user.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciable from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention and from the accompanying drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature and mode of operation of the present invention will now be more fully described in the following detailed description of the invention taken with the accompanying drawing figures of at least one exemplary embodiment thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the picture frame message board having a front surface and a window, shown displaying first and second messages on the front surface and a picture in the window;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the picture frame message board;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of area 4 shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a back elevational view of the picture frame message board;

FIG. 6 is a back perspective view of the picture frame message board; and,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a tabbed object adapted to be inserted into the front surface of the picture frame message board.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers on different drawing views identify identical, or functionally similar, structural elements of the invention. While the present invention is described with respect to what is presently considered to be the preferred aspects, it is to be understood that the invention as claimed is not limited to the disclosed aspects.

Furthermore, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the particular methodology, materials and modifications described and as such may, of course, vary. It is also understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the appended claims.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It should be appreciated that the term “frame”, when used herein, refers generally to a substantially rigid structure for encasing, holding, bordering, and/or defining an opening, such as, a window, especially in the context of such a structure operatively arranged to border, encase, or otherwise enclose a picture, mirror, etc. The term “corrugate” and its derivatives such as “corrugated” and “corrugation”, when used herein, refer to a structural arrangement comprising a plurality of ridges alternating with a plurality of grooves defined thereby.

Although many methods, devices or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the preferred methods, devices, and materials are now described.

Adverting now to the figures, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention picture frame message board, hereinafter referred to as frame 100 and a plurality of tabbed objects 200. Frame 100 comprises outer perimeter 106, inner perimeter 105, window 107 defined by inner perimeter 105, and front surface 101. As shown in this figure, frame 100 is adapted to hold and display a substantially planar item, such as picture 90, in window 107.

Front surface 101 comprises a plurality of ridges 103 which define at least one but, preferably, a plurality of grooves 104, each of which terminates at groove surface 104A as shown in FIG. 7. At least two adjacent ridges 103 of the plurality of ridges 103 are adapted to secure a substantially planar structure therebetween, within groove 104, by means of a frictional and/or mechanical engagement between such substantially planar structure and the two adjacent ridges 103. For example, the figures show a plurality of tabbed objects 200, each of which comprises at least one tab 201, which comprises a substantially planar structure. Tabs 201 may be secured within groove 104, between adjacent ridges 103, by means of a frictional and/or mechanical engagement between tab 201 and such ridges 103, thereby supporting and displaying tabbed object 200 on front surface 101. Moreover, a user may display messages on front surface 101 when tabbed objects 200 are arranged as symbols such as letters, as shown in FIG. 1 wherein a first plurality of tabbed objects 200 are arranged as a first message, illustrated for the sake of simplicity in the figure as “WORD A”, and a second plurality of tabbed objects 200 are arranged as a second message, illustrated as “WORD B”.

Preferably, front surface 101 is non-planar, as illustrated in FIG. 3, which shows the curvature of front surface 101. Frame 100 includes back surface 108, which is preferably substantially planar. Since front surface 101 is non-planar, and back surface 108 is substantially planar, frame 100 comprises a plurality of depths, i.e., distances between the front surface and back surface. For example, frame 100 includes first depth D1, second depth D2, and third depth D3. In this embodiment, D1 is greater than D2, which is greater than D3. Accordingly, when viewing front surface 101, tabbed objects arranged at D1 will appear in the foreground relative to those arranged at D2 and D1, and those arranged at D2 will appear in the foreground relative to those arranged at D1. By providing a plurality of depths or at least a curved front surface 101, a user may differentially display tabbed objects 200 plurality of messages by associating particular messages with particular depths. For example, a user might choose to display the name of a person shown in picture 90 at D1, and display a word describing such person at D1.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, frame 100 may comprise window pane 120 and back panel 130, which are adapted to hold a substantially planar item, such as photograph therebetween. When frame 100 comprises window pane 120 and back panel 130, back surface 108 preferably comprises recessed shoulder 113, which is adapted to receive window pane 120 and back panel 130. Back panel 130 may comprise stand, which is arranged to pivot away from the rest of back panel 130 and support frame 100 in a substantially upright position when resting upon a horizontal surface. Additionally, when frame 100 comprises window pane 120 and back panel 130, back surface 108 preferably comprises a plurality of recesses 109, which are arranged about the perimeter of recessed shoulder 113 and are preferably coplanar with back panel 130 when window pane 120 and back panel 130 are received therein. Moreover, each recess 109 may include aperture 109B, which is arranged to securely receive swing tab 109A, which is arranged to pivot with aperture 109B and secure window pane 120 and back panel 130 within frame 100.

Thus, it is seen that the objects of the present invention are efficiently obtained, although modifications and changes to the invention should be readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art, which modifications are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. It also is understood that the foregoing description is illustrative of the present invention and should not be considered as limiting. Therefore, other embodiments of the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

1. A picture frame message board comprising: a frame having an outer perimeter, an inner perimeter, a window defined by the inner perimeter, a front surface comprising at least two adjacent ridges defining at least one grooves, wherein the frame is arranged to hold and display a substantially planar item in the window, and the at least two ridges are adapted to receive and secure a substantially planar structure therebetween.
 2. The picture frame message board recited in claim 1 wherein the front surface is non-planar.
 3. The picture frame message board recited in claim 1 comprising a plurality of adjacent ridges defining a plurality of grooves therebetween, wherein every two adjacent ridges are adapted to receive and secure a substantially planar structure therebetween.
 4. The picture frame message board recited in claim 1 further comprising at least one tabbed object having at least one tab, wherein the at least two ridges are adapted to receive and secure the at least one tab such that the at least one tabbed object is secured and displayed on the front surface.
 5. The picture frame message board recited in claim 1 wherein the substantially planar item is a photograph. 